In addition to great company and cuisine, there is nothing like a fabulous Champagne to make your New Year celebration one to remember. If you have "the urge to splurge" we heartily recommend Louis Roederer's stunning 2014 "Cristal." "Cristal" is, of course, Roderer's most famous wine. It was created in 1876 to satisfy the demanding tastes of Tsar Alexander II. The emperor asked Louis Roederer to reserve the House's best cuvée for him every year. To distinguish this cuvée, this exceptional Champagne came in a flat-bottomed, transparent lead crystal bottle. The new brand was named after this precious material, which is particularly transparent and luminous.
The 2014 edition of Cristal is one of the firm's best ever and, in fact, it was the Wine Spectator's top-rated Champagne from that classic Champagne vintage. Our wine staff was so impressed with it when we first tasted it that we decided to set a portion aside for two extra years of aging on the cork. The result is that we have been rewarded with a magnificent Champagne that drinks even better than the rave reviews (below) would suggest.
WINE SPECTATOR 98 POINTS - "This vivid Champagne shows up-front and linear definition, thanks to rapierlike acidity, with finely meshed flavors of ripe black cherry and mandarin orange fruit, raw almond, anise and cardamom spice as well as a touch of honeycomb, which all unfurl and expand on the fine, creamy palate. Sleek acidity continues through to the finish, with additional racy character provided by a streak of minerally saline and chalk, which gains momentum through the midpalate and rings out on the well-cut, lasting finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now through 2040. 9,181 cases imported. — AN
WINE ADVOCATE 96 POINTS - "The 2014 Cristal is a terrific effort that transcends the vintage. Bursting from the glass with expressive aromas of ripe citrus fruit, nectarine, white flowers, freshly baked bread and subtle hints of honeycomb, it's medium to full-bodied, vinous and fleshy, with an exuberant core of fruit that's girdled by racy acids, resulting in a wine that's simultaneously chiseled and demonstrative, meaning that early appeal doesn't come at the expense of the requisite tension for long-term cellaring. Concluding with a long, aromatic and intensely chalky finish, it is a brilliant Champagne that will offer a broad drinking window. This bottle was disgorged in June 2021 with seven grams per liter dosage."
The 2014 edition of Cristal is one of the firm's best ever and, in fact, it was the Wine Spectator's top-rated Champagne from that classic Champagne vintage. Our wine staff was so impressed with it when we first tasted it that we decided to set a portion aside for two extra years of aging on the cork. The result is that we have been rewarded with a magnificent Champagne that drinks even better than the rave reviews (below) would suggest.
WINE SPECTATOR 98 POINTS - "This vivid Champagne shows up-front and linear definition, thanks to rapierlike acidity, with finely meshed flavors of ripe black cherry and mandarin orange fruit, raw almond, anise and cardamom spice as well as a touch of honeycomb, which all unfurl and expand on the fine, creamy palate. Sleek acidity continues through to the finish, with additional racy character provided by a streak of minerally saline and chalk, which gains momentum through the midpalate and rings out on the well-cut, lasting finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now through 2040. 9,181 cases imported. — AN
WINE ADVOCATE 96 POINTS - "The 2014 Cristal is a terrific effort that transcends the vintage. Bursting from the glass with expressive aromas of ripe citrus fruit, nectarine, white flowers, freshly baked bread and subtle hints of honeycomb, it's medium to full-bodied, vinous and fleshy, with an exuberant core of fruit that's girdled by racy acids, resulting in a wine that's simultaneously chiseled and demonstrative, meaning that early appeal doesn't come at the expense of the requisite tension for long-term cellaring. Concluding with a long, aromatic and intensely chalky finish, it is a brilliant Champagne that will offer a broad drinking window. This bottle was disgorged in June 2021 with seven grams per liter dosage."
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